A Pet Food Company Upgrades to APEC’s Mistcoater
Here’s why a pet food company decided to upgrade from a tumble drum coater to APEC’s Mistcoater Liquid Applicator, and the successful outcome of making the change.
The Issues
To apply both fat and flavors to their pet food, our pet food client had been using a traditional tumble drum coater for many years. However, this equipment simply wasn’t up for the task and also posed a few safety risks.
Because of the way tumble drum coaters work, suspended solids clogged the spray nozzles. This caused poor uniformity of coatings. Also, due to the excessive backpressure, premature failure of pumps and valves were a common occurrence. To remedy this problem, the nozzles needed to be cleaned and serviced often.
As far as safety went, the open-ended drums created a slipping hazard from the escaped atomized liquid. Constant cleanup of the surrounding area was needed. When it came to cleaning the inside of the drum, its excessive length and lack of easy access meant a person needed to actually go inside the drum to be able to properly clean it. This practice can quickly turn into a dangerous situation.
Dealing with these serious issues resulted in high labor costs, too much down time on the line, and the potential for a work-related accident.
The Upgrade
When this company decided it was time for an upgrade, they turned to APEC , who has been providing innovative pet food processing solutions for over 25 years.
APEC needed to work within the available footprint and provide a coating system that eliminated all of the issues with tumble drum coaters. The answer was the Mistcoater Liquid Applicator.
Using spinning disks in a continuous flow process instead of spray nozzles prevented clogged nozzles, even when suspended solids were being applied. Since there is no restriction on liquid inlet, the backpressure that can cause excessive strain on pumps and valves is eliminated.
As far as cleanability and safety goes, APEC’s Mistcoater Liquid Applicator is completely enclosed so overspray no longer occurs in the surrounding area. To prevent buildup on the walls of the coating chamber, internal scrapers are built right in. When it is time for a full cleaning, full-length access doors allow sanitation to take place without having to climb inside the machine.
The Outcome
The outcome of the upgrade has been tremendous. Since the fat and flavorings are now being atomized properly, the product coating uniformity has greatly improved. This system also enables multiple liquids to be applied through one inlet point, quickening the coating process.
The down time that was previously required for maintaining and cleaning the spray nozzles and surrounding area is virtually eliminated, as well as the safety hazards of slipping on overspray and climbing into the drum for cleaning.
Due to these exceptional results, the pet food client has now replaced every single one of their tumble drum coaters with APEC’s Mistcoater Liquid Applicators, as well as having installed them in their brand new processing facility.
APEC couldn’t be more proud and their pet food client couldn’t be more pleased with these results. Contact APEC or visit us online for more information about our Mistcoater Liquid Applicator!
